are faid to abound in hope, through the power of the holy Ghost; because, as he is the worker of faith, so of hope, in the hearts of chriftians; bearing witnefs with their fpirits, that they are children and heirs of GOD; confirming their rational inferences as to the goodness and fafety of their state; perfuading them of the power and faithfulnefs of Gon and the certain accomplishment of his promifes, and fweetly affuring their hearts, fo as to raise them above tormenting fear, anxious doubting, and diftracting despair.

5. The primary foundations of christian hope, as well as of chriftian faith, are the unchangeable truth and almighty power of GOD. He cannot lie, and he can do all things which are the objects of power; confequently, he can neither deceive our faith nor disappoiut our hopes. Whatsoe ver, therefore, God hath said or promised, we can never confidently enough expect and hope for, nor firmly enough believe.

6. Men may be ftrong in the chriftian hope, giving glory to GoD; that is, they may firmly believe the truth of his word, and the fure accomplishment of his promifes to his people, while they may be very doubtful of their own ftate, and fo be deprived of the joy of hope: For, as hope fuppofes faith, and faith refts upon a divine promife; while we cannot clearly and ra

tionally apply this promise to ourselves, we cannot yet hope for the accomplishment of it to ourselves.-Yet we may clearly fee our title to the promised bleffings on condition we did but truly believe and apply the promise. Hence it clearly follows, that our hope must ever keep pace with the evidence. of our title to the promised bleffing. Where we have no rational evidence of this, we can have no rational hope; and according to the strength of our evidence,fuch will be the strength of our hope.

7. Hence it is alfo clear, that all the hopes of wicked men, and even of men. (however fober, moral, and orderly in their lives) who are yet without any rational evidence of their being truly religious, are mere wicked groundless presumptions, which only ferve to keep up their fatal fecurity, and to render their damnation the more certain and the more dreadful: For, how dreadful muft it be for thofe men to find all their towering airy hopes, piercing them like broken reeds, and breaking under them like a spider's web, only to render their fall into endlefs mifery and despair the deeper and more diftreffing?

8. Hence it appears, that despair, is a more promising fymptom in wicked men, than the moft confident bopes. And that the foundation of a true chriftian hope in all fuch, must be laid deep in an utter def

pair of ever seeing the face of GoD, in mer-ey, while they continue void of true religion, and under the power of wicked habits.

9. Chriftian hope is diftinguifhed from worldly hopes, by the excellency of its objects, and the stability of its foundation. Its principal object, as we obferved, is GOD, and an eternal state of glory and happiness, in his prefence, wherein we shall be conformed to the image of his Son; and its foundation is the divine power and faithfulness; fo that it is a sure, glorious and blessed hope. But all, all fublunary hopes are mean in their nature, uncertain in their attainment, and deceitful and unfatisfying in their fruition and enjoyment.

10. To hope for the perfection of our nature, and the full enjoyment of God, is a glorious hope, which by its very nature, tends to raise, purify and refine our fouls, and which, when enjoyed, will leave us not a fingle wifh or defire ungratified: But earthly hopes; the hopes of honors, wealth, power, or fenfual pleasures, are of a low, mean nature, and naturally tend to deprefs and fenfualize the mind: And, even when they come to be attained, how do they dif appoint us? How little do they pleafe and fatisfy us? How often have we caufe to be afhamed of them? And how often does the very fruition of them turn out to be our greateft evils and vexations? But it is pe

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culiar to the nature of the christian hope, that it maketh not ashamed, because the fruition exceeds our higheft expectations.

11. How uncertain are we of the attainment of our earthly hopes and defires? How many have eagerly and diligently purfued fome one trifling earthly hope (that, fuppofe, of being rich, or being honored or refpected) all their days, and yet could ne ver attain it, but have been perpetually croffed and disappointed in all their expec tations ? This is the reason why young men are generally more fanguine in their hopes and expectations from the world, than old men, who, by a woful experience, have fo often found all their hopes from it fruftrated, and that all its moft gay and promifing appearances, are extremely flattering and deceitful. But it is the diftinguifhing characteristic of the chriftian hope, that it is a fure and certain hope; and those who enjoy it know it to be fo. Although the objects of the chriftian's hope, are future and unfeen, yet his hope gives them a prefence and reality, and therefore the patient waiting for this hope, is attended with joy and comfort. The interval of a thoufand years did not weaken Abraham's hope of the promised Messiah, but he rejoiced to see his day, because he knew that GOD was faithful who promised. Such also is the chriftian's hope of future glory; though

he has not yet feen it, yet believing, he rejoices in aflured expectation of it, with joy unfpeakable and full of glory.

12. Hope is exceeding fuitable to our present state. In heaven it is excluded by full enjoyment, and in hell, by utter defpair: But, as we are here in a middle state, between the two worlds ;-as we are now in a state of trial and expectance, it is perfectly fit that we should be governed and influenced by the hope of a future reward, which tends, on the one hand, to quicken our diligence in our proper work, and on the other, to preferve us from flothful defpondency.

13. Hope is highly neceffary to the christian in the prefent ftate. Surrounded with temptations both terrifying and alluring, to draw us away from our duty, the hope of falvation is our helmet and breastplate; toffed with the ftorms of doubts, perplexities, worldly cares and perfecutions, hope is the anchor of the soul, fure and steadfast, that enters within the vail, and, being fixed on the immortal fhore, gives the foul fecurity and reft; haraffe d with fore afflictions, and paffing through the dark valley of the fhadow of death, what could fupport us but the christian hope? This was the boaft of the afflicted apoftles; they gloried even in tribulations, rejoicing in the hope of the glory of GOD; they